1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a side airbag device for a vehicle seat.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, a side airbag device for a vehicle seat has been known. As shown in FIG. 7A, the side airbag device is provided in a seat back 2 of the vehicle seat. The vehicle seat includes a seat frame 3, a pad 5 provided to surround the seat frame 3, and a skin 7 covering the pad 5. The side airbag device comprises a gas generator 15 attached to the seat frame 3, an airbag 16 adapted to be inflated by a gas from the gas generator 15, and two connection members 21, 22 each connecting the seat frame 3 and the skin 7 (see, for example, JP 2848482B).
As shown in FIG. 7B, during inflation by the gas from the gas generator 15, the airbag 16 pushes the pad 5 by an inflation pressure thereof, to break a sewn portion 9 of the skin 7. Then, the air bag 16 is developed outside the seat back 2 through a slit 8 provided in the pad 5 in a lateral portion of the seat back 2.
Each of the connection members 21, 22 is made of a material (e.g., woven fabric) which is flexible, low in stretchability and excellent in tensile strength, and formed in an elongate strip shape. An inner end portion 21a of the connection member 21 and an inner end portion 22a of the connection member 22 are fixed to the seat frame 3 by a bolt/nut set 27 and a bolt/nut set 28, respectively. Further, an outer end portion 21b of the connection member 21 and an outer end portion 22b of the connection member 22 are fixed to the sewn portion 9 of the skin 7, individually. The outer end portions 21b, 22b of the connection members 21, 22 are attached to the sewn portion 9 of the skin 7 in this manner, so that, when the airbag 16 is inflated to break the sewn portion 9 of the skin 7, and developed outside the seat back 2, the connection members 21, 22 can prevent a front portion of the pad 5 from being torn apart.
In the side airbag device disclosed in the JP 2848482B, during assembling of the device, it is necessary to perform an operation of fixing the inner end portions 21a, 22a of the connection members 21, 22 to the seat frame 3 using the two bolt/nut sets 27, 28, individually. Thus, the above side airbag device has a problem that it takes a lot of time and effort for the fixing operation using the two bolt/nut sets.